


New Roots

by JustSomeElf



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Family Dynamics, Mentions of Violence, Moobloom AU, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, haha funny look at that im hurting myself, tubbos a little moobloom buddy look at im :))
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28169700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustSomeElf/pseuds/JustSomeElf
Summary: Roots from a grand tree spread out into stories seeping through the world. The cursed child lost and hunted is found by a family of misfits. A woodland spirit, a pig-like individual, and two human boys.Their stories, their roots, intertwine.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 56





	1. Roots of a Sunflower

**Author's Note:**

> hello!!!! asjkbfj i do not write often!!!! or write fanfics!!!! like ever!!!!!! i just wanted to try smth new :))
> 
> I'm on Instagram @justsomeelf and @just_some_ink_drinker if you only want mcyt content
> 
> I have no idea how ao3 works so my apologies, I hope you like it??
> 
> (this is my Moobloom!Tubbo AU :) )

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A boy living with his parents not far from the woods in a cottage, no one around for miles in the middle of a snowstorm.  
> He must run.  
> The roots begin to spread as a boy begins his adventure.

Petals lofty, a sweet shade of yellow as they drifted from the delicate field of sunflowers under attack from a strong gust of wind, getting caught in the hair of a boy already covered in dirt and other scraps of flora caught on his clothes whilst he had gone adventuring throughout the day. As Tubbo raised his head to look at the sky he recognised a storm was coming, the dark clouds looming far overheard that shadowed the vast forest the teen was currently exploring, he had to head home now before he got soaked in the process. 

Snatching his satchel sitting in a bush as it gets caught for a moment, Tubbo tightens the knot closing the opening to avoid losing any of the apples he had purchased from the market and began to sprint through the trees, ducking under branches, hopping over roots threatening to trip him as Tubbo made a mad dash back home to beat the rain. His parents would want him home soon anyway.

It had just been the three of them; Tubbo, his mother, and his father. They’d lived out here years before he was even born. Papa was a renowned herbalist, working in trade and medicinal practices with the herbs he collected, all local to the same forest just over half a mile to the cottage he and his wife lived in.  
The woman in question, Mama, was someone quite frail and often sickly. She would stay home while her husband worked on his studies and herbal experiments, and her son ventured out into the woods to collect such necessary herbs. When she wasn’t bedridden, Mama spent her time sewing or writing stories she would read to Tubbo whilst he fell asleep as a boy. Both adults had their worries that her body’s condition would carry down into their son, however after fifteen years there had been little to no worries concerning his health, the only thing that had passed onto Tubbo was his father’s curse.

Three years before the boy entered this world, his father was caught stealing from the garden of a witch. Flowers, herbs, things he needed as his wife only grew paler with each passing day. He had begged for assistance to aid his wife, to allow his only son to be born, striking a chord from the woman who cursed him on the verge of tears. Sparing his life but altering his appearance into a half-human half-moobloom hybrid, a type of cattle of which golden sunflowers sprouted. Exuding life and radiance the man was left with ears, horns, and a tail akin to the mythical creature, traits that carried onto his son.  
Yeah, a cliche scenario, but the idea of living a fairytale delighted his wife and son. Gleeful, optimistic and carefree they’d spend their days in the same similar routine of their roles in the house. Now that it was nearing Tubbo’s 16th and Mama’s condition was improving, they had been planning a day out for the imminent date. Although the storm clouds tugged at his heart, hoping his mother would not catch a cold from the poor weather before that special day.

A cottage with thick straw roofing atop stripped wooden beams and smooth white stones, the bee farm out front and flowers that continued to bloom despite the freezing winter gripping the land, smoke billowed out of the chimney, but no one was around for miles. The secluded home Tubbo stayed in with his parents was homey and had treated them well since even Mama’s mama was a child, sturdy and full of care, love and effort. It was well-kept, it was home.

Fireplace roaring warm as its flames danced fiercely sent a wave of heat over Tubbo as the thick wooden door shut behind him, helping the frost of winter’s chill melt off his thick, hooded cloak. Mama greeted him with a loving embrace, hugging her boy tightly and taking the satchel of apples only to stare with a disheartened look as both realised a hole had been torn and all of the goods had been lost. Papa was in his study, as usual, chuckling and ruffling Tubbo’s hair after he’d caught him off guard to tackle the man sitting on a stool at his desk in a hug.

That night went like any other, despite a disappointing lack of dessert and a new repair task assigned to Mama. They finished the meal, put out the candles, and after a group cuddle as Mama tenderly turned the pages of one of her old novels, the family went to rest in their respective rooms.

Occasionally there are times where when everything is occurring almost perfectly, as though there isn’t a problem in a world, something disastrous is likely approaching.

This was one of those times.

Sounds of the wooden door being hacked down with an axe and the metal lock and doorknob clattering to the ground awoke everyone in the house, a terrified mother shaking her husband awake and a child, groggy and confused. Wind howling as boots and angry shouts boomed through the house, shaking the oak frames as floorboards creaked and whined, a blizzard was not the only storm that had occurred tonight. The unmistakable sound of glass shattering led the intruders to the back of the house as two parents holding a lantern helped their son out the windowsill, staring with a look of horror and screaming as they ran into the woods with attackers in swift pursuit.

Screams cry for help bouncing off the trees as the family bounded through the woods, they knew no one would hear. No one heard the whiz of an arrow and the yelp of pain as a man fell to the ground, arrow tip sitting out of his shin and stick impaled through the back of his calve. It was difficult to run in that thick, heavy snowstorm, difficult to run from the man you love with your only child as he begs for you to leave him behind with glowing lanterns in view behind him. Hesitation was a death sentence in a situation such as this, projectiles flying past them and sinking into the ground swiftly, tearing at their clothes and skin and striking a downed man in the back as he waves goodbye in defeat. You both know women are worth more in a market than men are, even if the man had the ability to give plants life. But a child...

Desperation kept their pace stable, frozen hands gripped tightly and tears that began to harden into ice pouring down faces, saffron petals that bloomed with life from the delicate golden tipped ears billowing in the wind behind them that settled into the snow to be buried within seconds. Arrows continue to shoot at them.

They had never gone this far before, Tubbo had never gone this far before. So there was no way to know if that rotting tree trunk forming their only bridge across an icy river pouring off a cliff to the bank would be stable enough to cross, but there was no time to be hesitant. The boy first, Tubbo ran across as its old wood groaned and splintered in agony, then beckoning his mother to follow with urgency a child should never need to experience.

A lot of things should not have been experienced that night. No child should need to watch as an old oak splits in two across a cold bed of death, swallowing up their mother whole as he screams her name and falls in the snow at the edge of frigid water that lapped at his red, burning fingertips, raw and frostbitten after needing to escape an invasion in the middle of the night. Choking on sobs and gasping for breath, there was no path, no certainty he would even survive this in the end. They were getting closer and closer to Tubbo before he finally stopped.

Another cliff.  
Vision dizzy, head spinning and body burning in pain. Tubbo couldn’t run, he could barely listen to the men trying to coerce him over to them, away from the ledge. One raised his bow, allowing an arrow to fly into his shoulder just inches above his heart. He staggers back, causing panic as they dash at him but it was no use. Luckily, Tubbo would not feel the impact of the ground as his eyes slid shut while he plummeted.


	2. Roots of the Carnation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flowers bloom from under the snow, no longer suffocated. But the rich yellow petals were now stained red.  
> Red as the trail of apples littered along the ground, as red as the vest of one particular boy.  
> One ready for any adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again!!  
> this one is a bit longer since Tubbo's part will be continued, I'm aiming to have a chapter for Tubbo (in two parts), Wilbur, and Tommy.  
> I'm not sure if ill make one for Phil or Techno as I'm not very used to writing personas yet so I'm not confident in how I write them;;
> 
> thank you for reading it does mean a lot to me, I'm trying to improve my writing as much as possible :)
> 
> -

Exploring the woods was always a favourite activity of the boy and his brother’s, their father was a magnificent adventure and had taught them all he knew. His bravery, strength, and hunger for the unknown was something all of his boys had in common with the woodland spirit turned father. 

But being a father was not enough to tie him down, constantly going off on extravagant journeys for days, to weeks, to even months at a time. Undying lust for adventure being one of his best traits yet one of his strongest weaknesses, but he raised them all well to provide for themselves, which was exactly why Tommy was looking forward to spending the day in the forest with the elder twins searching for naturally growing resources for a pie to celebrate their father’s return from his most recent quest.

It started as it normally would, Wilbur chasing his younger brother as Techno sighed and reminded them of their duties before heading off with his axe to hunt and inspired as ever Tommy would comply. The fifteen-year-old was the epitome of a starry-eyed kid brother when it came to Techno and Wilbur, he’d never admit it, though. Pride also happened to run in the family, despite the fact none of them was blood-related.

Phil said he’d found him in the wreckage of a carriage, and that it was Techno who dug him out of the flaming heap. Whether the charred wood was set alight on purpose or the source was a lantern lighting the wood in a crash, there was no way to tell and no survivors but a small, blond child. Tommy hadn’t been told the full story about Techno and Wilbur, all he knew was they were found and promptly adopted the same way he was.

Regardless, now scavenging had begun, as gusts of wind billowed his loose, white shirt and bold, red vest, unbuttoned as it usually was. A world without worries nor boredom, a family that adored him no matter how often they would bicker with one another. 

They lived quite far out from anything, but a marketplace was located nearby, Phil often used it to sell and trade any treasures he came across on his journeys. So such a vast forest allowed Tommy to hide from his siblings and avoid any serious work, once again heading to his favourite place in the woodland plains. A magic sunflower field, he knew it must be magic since whenever he visited no matter the season, even the harsh winter freezing the bank below a waterfall he crossed by hopping over stones, it would bloom with life and loving warmth. It was special to him.

Although since it was quite a distance he was never able to spend much time in that beautiful field, which is exactly why he’d take his family to the sunflowers tomorrow once Phil returned. They’d make food to bring with them, spread a giant blanket his father made out in the clearing and spend all day chasing his elder brother through the stalks of towering flora whilst the other slept by his father’s side, recalling stories of his newest adventure.

Today though, it seemed Tommy would be having an adventure of his own.

Snowflakes gently falling in a thin layer of sparkling white from the dark, smoky clouds covered the sky greeted the boy as Tommy finally arrived, cursing himself for waking up when the sun had already passed midday, but for once something in the field was different. A cloth scrap from a satchel was caught on a bush which freed a small pile of apples onto the ground, continuing in a trail away from the direction of his home.

Staying out later than he was supposed to would earn him an earful from Wil, but the mystery that there may be someone out in these woods other than he and his family was an opportunity Tommy was unwilling to give up.

It was getting dark, the full moon’s gleam shining through leaves illuminated a path of bright red apples that were ripe enough to be picked recently, he continued to follow it - attempting to collect the crisp fruits in his arms as he did - until the trail finally stopped.  
All of the apples had fallen out of the satchel, the trail had run cold.

Yeah, Wilbur was going to kill him if he didn’t get back before dad did. So turning back to travel in the direction he had come in order to find his way back home, Tommy made little progress before he stopped still, hearing a loud clanging of metal. Surely that wasn’t real… right? Yet it was followed up by the sounds of glass shattering, an uproar of voices and desperate cries for help.

Dropping the apples Tommy dashed in the direction of the commotion and eventually stumbled out into a wide, flat plain covered in tall grass. In the distance was a single cottage, flowers blooming out front despite winter’s frost clawing at them, trying to snuff out the flames of life ignited by some mysterious source. Several horses were tied to a fencepost out front and the door to the cottage was absent, hacked down by an axe. A home invasion.

In the background he could see a lantern disappear into the woods, missing them by a moment, maybe there was someone hiding inside? Technically it wasn’t any of Tommy’s business, but he always enjoyed playing hero when it came to games with his brothers and how was this any different? So silently he crept inside. The first thing to catch his eye was the red, dying embers of a fireplace put out by the howling wind of a blizzard. The floors creaked as Tommy slowly tracked snow into the house, he made his way down the dark, unlit hallway. Aside from the rooms of a usual house, there were only two bedrooms, the master bedroom with a broken window - likely the source of the sound he heard of glass shattering - and one for their child.

Whoever lived here was definitely odd, drawings of bees scattered on a desk paired with notes about herbs and other educational things a teen should know. Whenever Phil was away, Techno or Wilbur would play tutor for their younger brother and teach him things a school would, there was nothing like that for them nearby after all. One of the pillows used as decor on the bed had fallen onto the floor, on one side there was a cutesy image of a man, a woman, and a boy all standing together surrounded by bees and flowers embroidered into the white cloth. On the back were just a single bee, a date, and a name…

“Tubbo…” Tommy breathed.

Clearly whoever had broken into this house was still present, as large gloved hands grabbed him from behind, one clamping over his mouth as he screamed as loud as he could, squirming and fighting back against the man holding him.  
“Didn’t seem like they had another little bastard with ‘em, not to mention a fighter compared to those cowards… whatever, coin is coin. Well, little guy, what’s yer’ name? Y’know where mama and your little brother ran off to?” A gruff voice huffed, moving his hand momentarily and yelping in response when Tommy sunk his teeth into it.

What followed was a blur, struggling and fighting in the dark until his head hit against something heavy and the silhouette illuminated by moonlight shining through the window faded away. Waking up again was even less welcoming as he realised he couldn’t see nor move, that he was lying down in the snow on his stomach somewhere while two men had a conversation beside him.

“...nd then he bit my fuckin’ hand!”  
“And you think this one was hiding in the house somewhere?”  
“I guess so, whatever. I already got everything of worth from the house, and one extra kid just means extra money.” Tommy recognised the voice of the intruder from the house, “What about the darling couple?”  
“Man’s alive, dunno if he’ll make it, though. The woman fell into that death trap beside us and over the falls she went, we’re s'posed to go get her body, organs are probably intact after all.” Whoever he was talking to responded. “ I was told to wait here so you could catch up. You missed the show by moments.”  
“Shit. That kid better live at the least, young and magical should fetch a good price.”

Body snatchers, from the darker side of the marketplace, Techno told him about that place once and how they’d sell every and anyone who’s defenceless enough to get hold of, he was lucky to be alive right now. The feeling of wet snow soaking the cloth bag over his head was freezing, pressing his face further into the ground as Tommy struggled to free his hands from behind his back. Phil told him about how on one of his adventures he’d been captured for interrogation on an exiled man’s whereabouts but that he broke out his binds using strength alone and Tommy was sure he was exaggerating, but to prove it he had he and his boys take turns to attempt to show they could do it as a fun test of strength, only Techno and Phil succeeded.

“Well, look who’s up. Sorry, turns out mama didn’t make it. Don’t worry, though, yer pops and brother might join you on our trip soon.” The other man scoffed for a moment and Tommy felt arms scoop him up under his torso and be placed on someone’s shoulder, kicking his legs and yelling as loud as he could in the process.“Now, since this is handled, let’s grab the mother and regroup back at the cotta-”

Tommy thudded to the ground with the man after hearing something strike him, the other screaming in terror before promptly being silenced as well. Footsteps crunched through the snow as the boy shivered, sure he was next before a thinly gloved hand rested on his collarbone and the other slipped the hood off of his head.

Techno wore a pained expression as he stared at his little brother in silence, Tommy trying to hide how relieved he was the man had found him. He knew his brother could recognise the fear in his eyes as he shook, attempting to blame it on the cold and how poorly dressed he was compared to the pink-haired man's robe with fur trim. There were three corpses on the ground, one he didn't recognise but concluded was likely the father from the cottage, the two were men from the dark market that had been swiftly killed, one by Tommy’s side with an axe in the head and the other with a sword impaled through him that was in the process of being removed by Phil.  
“Techno? Why’d you stop? Did you f-” His father slowly wandered over before catching sight of the boy and running to trap both of them in a hug, his giant, jet-black wings arched to hide them all from the world. “Tommy! Oh, Tommy! Are you alright? By gods, I’m sorry. I promise nothing’s gonna happen to you-”  
“There’s a dead woman in the riverbank.”

His son’s abrupt words sent Phil quiet for a moment. “If it upsets you, Techno can go get her and we can bury her properly, alright? For now, we need to go back home and…”  
“A- A kid, he needs help.” Tommy continued with urgency, rubbing gingerly at his wrists once Techno freed them from behind his back. The topic of children was a weak spot when it came to Phil, his fatherly nature already led him to take in three boys, so hearing a child was in danger struck a chord in the man’s heart.

With a sigh he let go of his boys, allowing them all to rise to their feet. “We can search. Techno, you go find Wil and tell him what happened, I’ll take Tommy and search for the boy.” Phil stated calmly, glaring briefly at his youngest son while the eldest nodded solemnly.  
It was then the other two men from the party that attacked the home emerged from the trees on the other side of the river, Techno drew his weapon from the fresh corpse in the snow and looked to his father, a message without words. Nodding in a silent response, Phil wrapped his arms around the torso of Tommy and took off into the air.

Tommy watched down below as Techno leapt across the riverbed and began to fight two men single-handedly, confident in his own victory. The sight soon replaced by snow-topped trees moving past below, he felt his father’s hold tighten and the man’s head pushed into his thick, blond hair affectionately. Muttering quietly, “I want you to never frighten me like that again, you stupid boy.”  
He could hear the frustration in Phil’s voice, mixed with his gentle laugh, he knew his father was angry with him and there would likely be consequences for running off but for now, the main concern was a lost and injured boy.

Once Phil landed they split off, promising not to stray too far from one another, Tommy headed closer to the cliff he knew was nearby. If those men came in that direction empty-handed then it was likely that kid, ‘Tubbo’, had fallen off of it. Snowflakes sticking to his hair as he trudged through the powdery snow, looking for someone he wasn’t sure was even alive. 

So seeing a boy lying on his back with an arrow in his chest, submerged in the snow amongst bold yellow flowers stained red with blood that hasn't dried yet, his first reaction was to dash over as fast as he could and check his pulse the same way Phil had taught him. Tubbo’s chest rose and fell, shaky choked breaths as pain creased the brows sitting at the top of a tear-streaked face. Tommy stood up and loomed over him, and stood silent for a moment, staring at the flora blooming under Tubbo’s body. 

“...magical…”

He was magic.

In a burst of adrenaline, Tommy scooped his arms under the other boy’s, dragging him back through the snow as he called out for his father.  
“Phiiiiiiiil!” He took a breath and grunted, almost tripping as he trudged backwards then adjusting his hold on the unconscious boy. “Phiiiiiiiiiiil! I found ‘im! He’s fuckin’ bleedin’ everywhere! Come on, Phil! He’s gonna die! The kid’s magic, too! He’s magic! Magic I tell yoUWAGH-”  
Changing his attention to Phil distracted him, falling backwards and rubbing his head in faint pain only to stare up at his father looking at him with a pained smile. The man gently took Tubbo from Tommy’s grip, eyes widening as he tore off his cloak to wrap around the boy once he recognised how cold his skin had gotten, scooping him up in his arms urgently and starting to run.

His youngest son struggled briefly to keep up with him, “D- Phil! Slow down! My feet are sore, can’t you just fly us home? Come on, Phil! I’m tired! I’m so very tired, pleaaase?”

But it was like his words didn’t even reach his father, as the two of them continued to run. Tommy’s murky blue eyes locked on to a trail of rich yellow petals, quietly watching the scattered golden waterfall trickling from Tubbo grow thinner and thinner, wilting and shrivelling up.  
The light- the life, fading.


End file.
